Brewing Camp Coffee...

[SWDesertTaco]

I did a brief search; but couldn't find this sort of thread

I'm sure there are some serious coffee connoisseurs here.

So I'm curious as to what people prefer for camp coffee brewing,

Myself I typically use a french press, and second choice is cowboy coffee :gunt: .
I own two percalators but don't use them as often as the press or cowboy coffee.

Do you french press, make Cowboy coffee, or use the ol percalator (sp?).??

Also Tips, for each.

As I brew my cowboy coffee (this is probably typical)prior to serving I pour some cold water on top of the floating grounds and allow the brew to sit for 2-5 mins then serve. The cold water knocks the grounds to the bottom and then not as many grounds per mouthful. I don't mind the grounds but many folks I know do.

 

[SunMan]

I use one of these...

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...oogle&cm_pla=cabelas coffee pot&cm_ite=netcon

I like your tip of pouring some water on the grounds before hand. Also, I try to perk it as sloow as possible.

 

[paulj]

Wow, it's been six mths since this topic was last discussed

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=778

 

[Bighead]

I'm a french press person also but I have been wanting to try out one of those GSI espresso makers.

 

[spressomon]

If you crave espresso on the trail and don't want to haul a 120V appliance and the generator to run it...this is what I have been using and I really like it.

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Piazza/stovetop_maker.cfm

Not cheap...but it is very well designed and constructed; all SS. It has a wide oversize bottom to keep the flame/heat more concentrated on the bottom of the vessel rather than superheating the sides. It also has a unique floating piston that actually compresses the espresso/coffee as the water is heated extracting a very smooth flavorful 'draw'.

I started with the smallest one but it's too small. The 6-cup is perfect for 2-double shots of espresso; 12C, which I just ordered, is great for 4-double shots of espresso.

This is the 3rd type of stove top espresso maker I've owned and used. And by far the best.

 

[paulj]

The GSI Espresso maker with a drip spout is just a variation on the 'moka pot', such as this one:
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Bonjour/cafemilano_stovetop.cfm

The Piazza one appears to operate the same way. Steam from the boiling water in the lower container forces hot water up through the grounds in the basket, and on to a colleciton means. With a moka pot, the top has a central fill tube, with the GSI model it is a drip spout.


Various sources claim that the moka pot is the most common way of brewing the morning coffee in Italian homes.

When considering a small moka pot, check the support grid of your camp stove. These pots are sized in terms of demi-tasse cups, not 6 oz ones.

Another consideration with these pots. The screw on top has a gasket that makes a pressure tight seal. With time and use the gasket ages and cracks, and needs to be replaced.

Instructions for using a moka pot:
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/brewingbasics/ss/mokapot.htm

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Personally I perk....I'm pretty lazy when it comes to food and camping..I want quick and easy with minimum dishes. As much as some of those fancy gourmet trail recipes look you probably won't catch me doing much beyond making spaghetti. And as nice as espresso sounds, this is camping not Starbucks!

I thought about doing a french press, but I figured if I have to heat up my water first anyway I may as well have the coffee being made at the same time. In the mornings I want my coffee and I want it NOW! Also, sometimes in the morning we are in a bit of a hurry to hit the road so the perk seems to work great for me...turn it on, get changed and washed up for the day and by the time I'm done with that the coffee is usually ready and I don't have to mess with it. I have considered going with the instant coffee option, but haven't quite made it to that level of laziness yet! :coffeedrink:

 

[spressomon]

Instant? Now that IS being lazy :shakin:. Just kidding of course.

A Melitta offers quickness, very good coffee taste (assuming you start with good coffee ;-), easy to clean up (just toss the filter and grounds), doesn't take up much space at all.

Yep...you've got me beat with instant but...

 

[tdesanto]

I did a brief search; but couldn't find this sort of thread

I'm sure there are some serious coffee connoisseurs here.

So I'm curious as to what people prefer for camp coffee brewing,

Myself I typically use a french press, and second choice is cowboy coffee :gunt: .
I own two percalators but don't use them as often as the press or cowboy coffee.

Do you french press, make Cowboy coffee, or use the ol percalator (sp?).??

Also Tips, for each.

As I brew my cowboy coffee (this is probably typical)prior to serving I pour some cold water on top of the floating grounds and allow the brew to sit for 2-5 mins then serve. The cold water knocks the grounds to the bottom and then not as many grounds per mouthful. I don't mind the grounds but many folks I know do.

Throw out your percolators. Or, keep them to use to boil water only. No self-respecting person can claim that they like the taste of percolated coffee. At least, no one that I can trust.

I oscillate between the french press and the stove-top espresso maker. Depends on mood. 1/2 the battle to a good cup is the grind itself. The other 1/2 is the quality of beans used. Courser grind is necessary for the french press, somewhere between fine and ultra-fine for the espresso maker (depending on taste), and medium for cowboy coffee.

Regarding cowboy coffee. That is actually just as good as the french press in terms of richness and you can't beat the ease of the method and cleanup. I use this mainly when I'm making for a large group of folks and I like to use a medium grind. The courser grounds tend not to drop as easily or some not at all. Instead of pouring cold water on top, try thwacking the side of the pot 4-6 times with a hard plastic or wooden spoon. The ripple effect in the water stuns the grounds and they drop straight to the bottom. No need to wait to pour after that. I learned that from a camping cookbook and didn't believe it worked, until I tried it. I was pleasantly surprised by this method's effectiveness.

A few months ago, Articulate wrote a great article on this very subject for Overland Journal. He looked at all the methods and tried all of them out over the years. In the end, using boiled water poured through a drip filter/holder straight into the mug works best for him. Simple and effective, but probably best for making coffee just for yourself or one other person.

 

[mog]

The Aerobie AeroPress is GREAT http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm

Small, light unbreakable (to a point), and makes great coffee / espresso.

 

[articulate]

Throw out your percolators. Or, keep them to use to boil water only. No self-respecting person can claim that they like the taste of percolated coffee. At least, no one that I can trust.

Good boy. (but I've been known to use it on desperate camp mornings)


But with the Ortlieb coffee filter holder, it is large enough to take a pots-worth of grounds. Nevertheless, Brooke and I typically only make a cup of coffee each in a given morning.

Making espresso is faster and easier than good 'ol black coffee too. Seriously, a Bialetti Moka Pot is sooooo damned easy to use the question to answer is why aren't you using one?

And if you really want to cheat the system: pour a shot or two of espresso into a mug of hot chocolate. That's a mighty fine café mocha ala Camp Stephens. That one was for free.

 

[spressomon]

The Aerobie AeroPress is GREAT http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm

Small, light unbreakable (to a point), and makes great coffee / espresso.

mog: Have you used it? Does it give crema or is the paper filter too fine to allow crema to develop/pass?

 

[tdesanto]

ExPo plug-in?

Articulate,

That was fast. 14 minutes after my post to be exact.

Do you have some sort of special ExPo plug-in installed that notifies you as soon as anyone mentions your name or any article you've written?

 

[FurthurOnTheFly]

Instant? Now that IS being lazy :shakin:. Just kidding of course.

A Melitta offers quickness, very good coffee taste (assuming you start with good coffee ;-), easy to clean up (just toss the filter and grounds), doesn't take up much space at all.

Yep...you've got me beat with instant but...

Honestly I've never considered instant until a article in the most recent Backpacker mag named some brand that they rated pretty high. Of course I cannot remember the name, and have not yet searched it out.

 

[paulj]

I usually use a paper filter in a home made cone similar to the Ortlib one. I made mine from a thin plastic cutting board - cut to shape, folded into a cone, and stapled together The staples are rusted, but other than that it works fine, and packs more compactly than the regular plastic holder. The big plus for paper filters is the ease of cleanup.

Another inexpensive maker is the stainless steel filters sold in Asian groceries for Vietnamese coffee (usually drunk with sweetened condensed milk).